Occasional heart pounding, racing, or fluttering is pretty normal. “Slow breathing can also have direct influence on pressure receptors in the vascular and pulmonary systems and promote a state of relaxation, which tends to enhance the parasympathetic response throughout the body and allow you to ‘rest and digest.’” When are heart palpitations a cause for concern “In healthy people, we see a temporary increase in heart rate with inhalation followed by a decrease with exhalation,” says Dr. You'll want to focus on slow breathing, which can help you activate the parasympathetic nervous system. You can also try some breathing exercises to calm yourself down if you're feeling stressed, or think your heart palpitations may be due to anxiety. Jessup, especially if you realize you have had a lot of caffeine or alcohol-and maybe not enough water-that day. Jessup says.Īdditionally, getting up to drink a glass of water is a good idea, according to Dr. It is also possible that laying on your left side can affect your heart's function, though further study is required for exact explanations, Dr. When you lay down, your cardiovascular system has to respond to the gravitational forces that shift when you change positions, whether that's standing, sitting, or laying down. ', eating too close to bedtime may lead to varying blood sugar levels, which can impact your quality of sleep.' Body positionīody position also has an impact on heart rate and blood pressure. 'Your body is less sensitive to insulin in the evening, and insulin helps control your blood sugar levels,' Juliana Dewsnap, RD, LDN, CPT, and formerly the dietitian for Baze, previously told Well+Good. Eating too close to bedtime can cause your blood sugar to spike because your body is not as adept at digesting at night. Caffeine can cause your heart to contract with more force. Jessup says that common causes of nighttime heart flutters include drinking caffeine too late in the day, elevated blood sugar, or smoking. Drinking caffeine or alcohol, eating too close to bed, or smokingĭr. However, there are a few bedtime-specific reasons your heart might be racing above your resting heart rate at night.

You may be experiencing heart palpitations throughout the day, but you're more likely to notice them when you get into bed and settle in for the night, the Cleveland Clinic says. Why your heart races at night when you lie down

My heart quivers sometimes